Mushroom Rice

This simple and delicious Mushroom Rice is layered in savory umami flavor with yummy mushrooms that are perfectly sautéed in butter with lots of garlic! It’s a quick 30-minute recipe that takes steamed rice to the next level in just a few easy steps.

Easy Mushroom Rice Recipe

A couple of weeks ago I was making my Cream of Mushroom Soup. I love the smell of cooking mushrooms. Standing at my stove sautéing the mushrooms and taking in all the amazing aroma. And I realized I hadn’t shared my Mushroom Rice recipe yet!

Yes, my Mushroom Risotto recipe is on the blog and it is amazing! Yet, sometimes you need a recipe that is just as yummy but takes a little less time and effort. Well, that my friends is where this Mushroom Rice comes in to save the day.

This recipe is super easy to make and so yummy. Just imagine making steamed rice, but you sauté a few mushrooms in butter with lots of garlic right before you add the rice and liquid to the pan. It’s that easy! You can whip this dish together in 30 minutes or less and it goes fantastically well with any main dish like Chicken Francese or Pan Seared Steak.

• Butter – Always use unsalted butter in cooking to control the added salt. But if you only have salted butter on hand, just cut back on the amount of actual salt used.
• Olive Oil – I use olive oil to sauté the mushrooms, but vegetable oil is another option.
• Onion – Yellow onion adds the most flavor, but any type of onion you have on hand is fine.
• Garlic – You want to use fresh minced garlic. Jarred garlic can sometimes have a bitter taste. 
• Mushrooms – I normally use cremini, white, or a combination of both. However, any type of mushrooms will work. 
• Salt – A touch of salt is needed to season the rice and mushrooms as they cook.
• Black Pepper – You can use regular or freshly ground black pepper to your taste.
• Italian Seasonings – It’s typically a blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram that is sold in jars. However, if you don’t have any Italian seasoning on hand, you can make your own Italian Seasoning using my recipe. 
• Long Grain Rice – Medium grain rice, basmati, or jasmine rice will also work. But I don’t recommend using short grain rice. 
• Vegetable Broth – I use a low sodium variety to control the level of added sodium. You can also use chicken broth if you prefer.
• Parsley – Adds a nice fresh herb layer of flavor to the rice. 

This dish, like most of my recipes, is really easy and super delicious! It’s basically like making steamed rice with just one quick extra step that adds tons of flavor.  

Sauté The Onion And Garlic

To begin, add the olive oil and butter to a skillet or Dutch oven and melt the butter over medium-high heat. Then add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes or until it’s soft and translucent. Now, toss in the minced garlic and sauté for about another 30 seconds just until aromatic.

Sauté The Mushrooms

Next, to make mushroom rice you need to sauté some mushrooms! So add the sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes. But don’t forget that to properly sauté you must move them around the pan often. You will know the mushrooms are done sautéing when they have browned and all the liquid has evaporated. If after 5 minutes, there is still a lot of liquid in the pan you need to keep cooking them until it’s gone.

Add The Rice And Cook

Once the mushrooms are properly cooked, stir in the rice and vegetable broth. Now, bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and cook the rice for a full 15 minutes without removing the lid. It’s crucial that you do not disturb the lid or stir the rice while it is steaming. 

Finish And Serve

Once you have cooked the rice for 15 minutes, remove the lid, toss in the fresh chopped parsley, and then fluff the rice with a fork. Now, taste the rice and season with salt and pepper if needed before serving.

What Can I Add To The Rice?

You can pretty much add any herbs or seasonings you want to the rice while it cooks. Just stir them in when you add the uncooked rice. The most important thing when it comes to cooking rice is the ratio of rice to liquid. If you add too much moisture or not enough it can totally throw off the whole recipe. So if you want to add things like meat or vegetables, it’s best to cook them ahead of time and toss them together with the rice after it has been cooked. 

Can I Use Brown Rice?

I don’t suggest making this recipe as is with brown rice because it has a much longer cooking time and requires a different ratio of rice to liquid. But if you know how to use brown rice in place of white rice in recipes, go for it! I have no doubt it will be delicious. I’ve just not tried it myself for this recipe.

Can I Make This Recipe Vegan?

Yes! Just leave out the butter and you’ve got yourself a yummy vegan main dish!

How To Store

Leftover mushroom rice will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container. To reheat, sprinkle it with some water, cover it, and then put it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power or reheat it in a saucepan. However, if the rice has been frozen, it’s best to let it thaw out in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Other Great Rice Recipes To Try

• Chicken and Rice Soup
• One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
• Tex Mex Chicken And Rice
• Greek Rice
• Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole
• Dirty Rice
• Yellow Rice